Hollow work-support or bed.



PATENTED P313526, 190?.

H. A. HOLDER. HOLLOW WORK SUPPORT 0R BED.

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PATENTED 213.26 1907.

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No.845,640. 'PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907. H. A. HOLDER.

HOLLOW WORK SUPPORT OR BED. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 5, 1905.

- 4 SHEETS-SHEET UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. HOLDER, LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

.HOLLOW WORK-SUPPORT QR BED.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. HOLDER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Hollow Work-Supports or Beds, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to a fluid-tight receptacle provided with amovable portion or member, preferably of a substantially non-extensiblematerialsuch, for instance, as canvas, duck, or like materialand has forits object to provide for bodily movement of said portion or member,whereby a maximum cushioning effect of a fluid backing for said movablemember may be obtained without stretchin straining, or otherwiseinjuring the movable member.

The invention is especially adapted to be embodied in a fluid-tightreceptacle employed in a machine for treating hides, skins,

',' or leather as the bed or support for the work while the latter isundergoing treatment by a bladed cylinder or other operatingtool.

In the present instance the invention is shown as embodied in a machinefor fieshing or unhairing hides and skins, and provision is made fortaking up any slack or irregularities in the fit of the movable portionor member of the bed or work-support and also for taking up any possiblestretch in the material of which the movable member is composed whichmight possibly take place in-case the movable member should be worn downor become thinner in use.

The movable member of the bed may have cooperating with it a removablecovering constituting the active working face thereof, and provision ismade for securing said covering so that it can be quickly and easilyrenewed when so desired and so that any stretch in said covering may betaken up. The movable member or portion of the bed or work-support mayhave cooperating with it a fluid-tight tube, by means of which thenecessity of making a fluid-tight connection between the movable memberand the stationary member or structure to which it is secured isavoided.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a machine Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

I provided with a bed embodying this invenl tion; Fig. 2, a sideelevation, on an enlarged l scale, of the bed shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, across-section, on an enlarged scale, of the bed shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4,a front elevation, and Fig. 5 a plan, of the bed shown in Fig. 2 andFigs. 6 and 7, details to be referred to.

in the present instance I have shown one form or construction of bed orwork-support embodying this invention which consists,

essentially, of a stationaryportion or member and a movable portion ormember.

The stationary portion or member, as herein shown, comprises a bottomwall a, an upwardly-extended wall I), and end walls 0, (see Fig. 3,) allof which parts may be made i of metal and cast in one piece. Between thefront edge of the bottom wall a and the front edge of theupwardly-extended wall I) is an opening which extends substantially thelength of the bed and is closed by the movable portion or member d,which latter may and preferably will be made of substantiallynonextensible materialsuch as canvas, duck, or like materialwhich isfirmly secured to the stationary portion of the bed. The movable memberd may be detachably secured to the stationary portion or member of thebed by means of clamping devices, herein shown as bars e f, cooperating,respectively, with the front face of the bottom a of the stationarymember and with the upper surface of the upright wall b and securedthereto by the screws h i. The movable member d of the bed is alsosecured at its ends to the end walls 0 of the stationary member of thebed, and in order to permit the substantially nonextensible movablemember d to obtain the full cushioning effect of a fluid backing and tobe moved inwardly without subjecting it to strain or otherwise injuringthe same the ends of the said movable member are fastened to the endwalls 0 of the bed out of line 'with the normal working position of themovable member of the bed. For this purpose the end walls a of the bedare made smaller than the cross-sectional area of the bed in its workingposition and may be provi ded, as herein shown, with inwardly-curved orreentrant surfaces or edges j, (shown best in Figs. 2 and 3,) to whichthe ends of the movable member d are firmly secured, as by theclamping-bars k, which are fastened to said end walls by the screws mand which may be attached to the clamp e.

In order to take up slack or any irregularities in 'the fit of themovable member 01, means, shown as adjusting screws or rods n. areprovided, which are extended through slots or openings in a flange orweb p on the stationary member of the bed (see Figs. 3 and and arefastened to the movable member d of the bed at points intermediate itsends, which may be accomplished, as herein shown, by clamping jaws ordevices 10 12, between which the movable member (1 is secured by meansof the screw or bolt 13. The adjusting screws or rods n are providedwith nuts 14, by turning which the movable member d maybe drawn over theedge of the upright portion 1) of the bed, the clamp f being firstreleased, and after any slack which may exist has been taken up theclamp f is secured in its operative position to firmly fasten themovable member d to the station ary member of the bed.

The movable portion or member (Z may have cooperating with it aremovable cover ing 16, which may be of substantially thin flexibleleather, which constitutes the active working surface of the movablemember of the bed and which may be removably secured in place by theclamps ef, the lower end or edge of the covering being preferably foldedor passed about a rod 18 to better secure it in place.

The movable member (1 cooperates with the rigid or stationary member ofthe bed to form a hollow bed into which fluid-pressure is admitted,which pressure may be air, water, or other gas or liquid. In order toavoid the necessity of making fluid-tight joints between the movablemember d and the stationary portion of the bed, it is preferred to usean inner tube 20, of rubber or like flexible material, which is placedwithin the hollow bed or support.

In the present instance the inner tube 20 is shown as secured by thewire coil 21 to a nipple 22, which extends through an opening 23 in thebottom a of the stationary member or portion of the bed and is securedtherein by the set-screw 24. The nipple 22, as shown in Fig. 1, .isconnected by the cou ling 25 with a hose or pipe 26, which leads to areservoir or pressure-tank 27, provided, as herein shown, with apressure-gage 28 and with an automatically-operated relief or safetyvalve 29. The pressure-tank 27 is provided with an inlet-pipe 30, whichis connected to a suit able pump or compressor 31 of any suitableconstruction, which is designed to be con tinuously driven by the belt32 while the machine to which the bed is applied is in use. Thepressure-tank 27 may be provided with a manually-operated stop-cock orvalve 33.

The machine to which the bed or worksupport is applied may be of anysuitable or desired construction and in the present instance is shown asa machine comprising a rolls 36 37 38, substantially such as shown anddescribed in United States Patent No. 696,588, dated April 1, 1902, towhich reference may be had for a more detailed explanation of theoperation of the machine herein shown, inasmuch as the present inventionrelates more particularly to the bed or worksupport above described. In.the patent referred to the roll 36 constitutes the bed-roll, whereas inthe present instance its function is that of a feed-roll. The bed orwork-support cooperates with the bladed cylinder or roll and is movedtoward and from the same, and for this purpose is attached, as by thescrews 39, to the carrier 40 for the feedrolls. This attachment is bestshown in Figs. 1 and 6.

In operation the hollow bed has admitted into it fluid-pressure, whichforces the movable member of the bed into its outward or workingposition. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 3.) The Iluid pressure may be variedaccording to the character of the work to be performed, being greaterwhen the machine is used for fieshing than when used for unhairing hidesand skins. The fluid-pressure is adjusted so that the movable memberoccupies the position shown by full lines in Figs. 1 and 3 when thethinner portions of the hide or skin or leather are presented in properworking 5 relation to the tool or bladed cylinder 35. When a thickerportion of the work is interposed between the operating-tool and themovable member of the bed, the latter is free to be forced or movedinwardly against the fluid-pressure, thereby obtaining the full beneiitof the fluid-cushion without subjecting the material of which themovable member is composed to strain. This inward movement is ermittedby the crimped ends of the movable member, for it will readily be seenthat the portion of the movable member intermediate its ends may bemoved bodily inwardly until said intermediate portion of the movablemember is carried into and be yond the plane in which the ends of thesaid member are located.

In the construction herein represented the intermediate portion of themovable member of the bed can be forced inwardly until it occupies aposition indicated by the curved dotted lines (I in Fig. 3 withoutsubjecting the said member to strain. By securing the ends of themovable member back of the normal or working position of said member thelatter is permitted to respond to an increase in the thickness of thework and be moved back or inward without resistance by the nonextensiblematerial, consequently avoiding stretching, straining, or otherwiseinjuring the movable member, while proper alinement of the movablemember with relation to the working tool is maintained, and the fullcushioning effect of the internal pressure on the movable member isobtained.

In the apparatus herein shown the excessive fluid-pressure Within thebed or worksupport caused by excessive external pressure on the movablework-support due to increased thickness of the work is avoided by therelief-valve 2-9, and said internal pressure is reestablished at apredetermined point or amount by the pressure in the reservoir but thisfeature is not herein claimed, broadly, as it forms the subject-matterof another application, Serial No. 227,102, filed October 4, 1904.

The invention is herein shown as embodied in one form of work-support orbed 3 but it is not desired to limit the invention in this re spect.

I claim 1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, ahollow bed or work-support comprising a stationary member provided withan opening, a movable member covering said opening and having its endssecured to said stationary member back of or within the normal workingposition of said movable member, a removable covering or face for saidmovable member, means to detachably secure said movable member and itscovering to said stationary member, and means to adjust said movablemember to said stationary member, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a hollowbed or work-support comprising a stationary member provided with anopening, a movable member covering said opening and having its endssecured to said stationary member back of or within the normal workingposition of said movable member, and a fluid containing tube within saidhollow bed and cooperating with said movable member, a source offluid-supply, and means to connect said inner tube with said source offluid-supply, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a hollowbed or work-support comprising a stationary member provided wth anopening, a movable member covering said opening and having its endssecured to said stationary member back of or within the normal workingposition of said movable member, means to detachably secure said movablemember to said stationary member, and means to adjust said movablemember to said stationary member, substantially as described.

4. A hollow bed or work-support comprising a stationary member, and amovable member of substantially non-extensible material, and means tosecure the ends of said movable member out of line with the normalworking position of said movable member, to enable said member to bemoved from its working position, substantially as described.

5. A hollow bed or work-support provided with a movable member ofsubstantially nonextensible material having its ends secured out of linewith its intermediate portion to permit bodily movement of saidintermediate portion, for the purpose specified.

6. A hollow bed or work-support provided with end walls having reentrantportions, and a movable member having its ends secured to said reentrantportions, and means to force the intermediate portion of said movablemember outward beyond said reentrant portions of the end walls,substantially as described.

7. A hollow bed or work-support provided with a movable member havingits ends out of line with its intermediate portion to permit bodilymovement of said intermediate portion, and a fluid-containing tubewithin said hollow bed or work-support cooperating with said movablemember to force its intermediate portion beyond the plane of the endportions of said movable member, and to permit said intermediate portionto yield under external pressure, substantially as described.

8. A hollow receptacle provided with a movable member having its endsfastened out of line with its intermediate portion, and a fluid mediumunder pressure within said hollow receptacle normally forcing saidintermediate portion-beyond and out of line with its ends and permittingbodily movement of said intermediate portion under external pressure,substantially as described.

9. A hollow bed or worlcsupport comprising a stationary member, and amovable member of substantially non-extensible material, and means toadjust the movable member intermediate its ends to said stationarymember, substantially as described.

1 0, A hollow bed or work-support comprising a stationary member, amovable member fastened at its ends to said stationary member, and meanscooperating with the movable member intermediate its ends to adjust saidmovable member to said stationary member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. HOLDER.

Witnesses:

JAS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

